Originally appeared at A-specto, translated by Borislav exclusively for SouthFront

The Democratic party in the US formally nominated Hillary Clinton as a candidate for president. There is a possibility that the American head of state could be a woman, which would be the first time that has happened in its 240 year history. The clash between Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump could be “the most contested race for the White House in recent decades.” The reason for this is that different studies give very little lead to either of the contenders.

Former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton was supported by a majority of Congress of the Democratic Party delegates in Philadelphia on Tuesday. She managed to pass the threshold of 2382 votes that were necessary for the nomination. Senator Bernie Sanders, with whom she led a fierce race during the primaries, supported the former first lady, and said that she should be the next president of the United States.

Observers noted that he could reach into the fresh wound of the Democratic Party, but instead he smeared it with ointment. A few days ago, WikiLeaks publishes emails between representatives of the party, which only confirmed what was clear to everyone – the party had discussed how to deal with the senator from Vermont, who could become an obstacle to the candidacy of Clinton. The leak led to the resignation of the head of the Democratic Party Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

However, in his speech at the national convention of the Democratic Party, Sanders said that Clinton would be an “exceptional president.” He announced that he stands behind her, despite contentions on many issues. “I will vote for Hillary Clinton because I know that Donald Trump would be a disastrous president,” commented the Senator. Meanwhile, his supporters met the nomination with mass protests and the statement: “The whole world is watching.”

The Democratic candidate received the strong support of her husband and former US president Bill Clinton. According to him, the former first lady is a powerful engine for change, and a fighter for social justice.

The 68-year-old Clinton is expected to give her formal agreement to represent the Democrats at the US elections, and to stand against Republican candidate Donald Trump in November.